Inventions You Can Thank Latinos For

Birth Control Pills, Plus 4 Other Inventions You Can Thank Latinos For

From Hillary Clinton trying to compare herself to your abuela or Donald Trump calling Mexicans rapists, Hispanics and Latinos have been the focus of many discussions during the election campaign. So now is a perfect time to remind the world of the great contributions to society made by Hispanics and Latinos.

Some of following inventions have completely changed the world and others are being used every day. Here are four inventions and discoveries you can thank Latinos for (and one notable accomplishment you might not be aware of).

1. The Pill

Did you know that a Mexican was the co-inventor of the first oral birth control pill? In 1951, chemist Luis Miramontes helped synthesize the active ingredient for what would become birth control. He was a college student at the time and he along with two others were named in the U.S. patent that led to the invention of the first oral contraceptive.

2. Color TVs

Mexicans love their telenovelas so it might come as no surprise that a Mexican inventor helped create one of the first color television systems. Can you imagine Dos Mujeres, Un Camino or Luz Clarita in black and white? I can't either. In 1942, Guillermo González Camarena received a U.S. Patent for his "chromscopic adapter for television equipment."

This is one of the many inventions that led to the modern-day TV technology.

3. The First Minority Coach To Win A Super Bowl

In 1980, Tom Flores was the first-ever minority coach in the NFL to win a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Raiders. He won a second one with the same team in 1983. There has only been one other Hispanic/Latino head coach in the NFL to coach during the Super Bowl. But despite his achievement of winning two Super Bowls, Flores has not been inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

It’s rare for an NFL head coach to win more than one Super Bowl and most coaches with multiple Super Bowl wins have made it into the Hall of Fame — or will eventually be inducted. The fact that Flores isn’t in the Hall of Fame is a bit of a shame.

4. Artificial Hearts

Medical technologies have helped save the lives of many and extended our lifespans. Perhaps one of the most incredible medical inventions is the artificial heart. In 1969, Argentine doctor Domingo Liotta created the first artificial heart to be successfully transplanted into a human. His invention now sits at the Smithsonian Museum and has forever changed human history. Let that sink in for a moment: We've discovered a way to replace the human heart.

John Henderson, an anthropologist at Cornell University, says cocoa plants were used a lot earlier than most people think. Henderson and other researchers found traces of cocoa in pottery vessels that were used to brew drinks. Those cocoa brews most likely led to the discovery of chocolate. So go grab yourself a Modelo and some of that Abuelita chocolate because those two things are more related than you thought — and enjoy the rich history that comes with it.